George Clooney has received an apology from the Mail Online website after he accused it of printing an inaccurate story about his forthcoming marriage to Amal Alamuddin.

The story, which said the star's potential mother-in-law opposed the wedding for religious reasons, was published on the website on Monday but has since been removed.

George said the story was "completely fabricated", exploited "religious differences where none exist" and was "at the very least negligent".

A Mail Online spokesman said the story had been "supplied in good faith" but they accepted "Mr Clooney's assurance that the story is inaccurate" and had "launched a full investigation" into what happened.

He said: "We have removed the article from our website and will be contacting Mr Clooney's representatives to discuss giving him the opportunity to set the record straight."

Meanwhile, George and Beirut-born Amal's mums have cemented their fledgling friendship by hitting the shops.

The pair appear to have enjoyed getting to know each other as their children prepare to marry, Us Weekly reported.

George's mum Nina and Amal's mum Baria, who lives in London, were spotted laughing while they walked with their arms around each other as they shopped near George's estate in Lake Como, Italy.

According to Us Weekly, they looked at an arrangement of silk scarves.

The women also joined the couple for dinner after their trip to the shops, arriving at the restaurant via boat taxi.

Nina has previously said she is "extremely happy" about her son's engagement, adding: "Amal's a lovely girl, I like her very much."